This is the kind of video that sets you apart from 99.5% of what one can find on RU-vid on this topic. I could type all night pointing out all of the reasons. One of the things I've noticed too, is that you give away a lot of knowledge that people can use. When you are also trying to sell your knowledge, it's a very thin line between giving it all away and holding it all back. But you manage to provide meaningful information through your channel without seeming like you're holding something back. There are so many other channels that give you a huge helping of word salad and then at the end, drop the other shoe with a pitch about whatever it is that they really make their money at. On a side note, I checked my stats for my first 100 sales. I opened my shop April 19, 2023, and I got my 100th sale on September 29, 2023. I learned a lot from you in those early days but I concentrated on the Etsy side of things and still got there in a relatively short amount of time. I still don't do social media or an email list but after 13 months, my sales are way up over 300. So for what I am doing, I must be doing something right. Thanks to you.
You’re by far my favorite Etsy expert on YT. You’re somewhat going against the grain with advice that’s being given regarding Etsy, but you explain why and it makes much more sense. And you have the credentials to support it.
Thank you for the video! And, for anyone that is thinking about HAA, just do it! It is so helpful. Starla tells you the truth (even though sometimes you don't want to hear it), and that is so refreshing.The parts on marketing and branding are so good. Do it!
Ive been a seller on Etsy since the golden days too with handmade, but my hands are suffering. LOL Trying some POD. Just watched that video. Im not a SEO, product photos,(photos are king of the land! Haha) ecomm rookie but know I needed to seek more info. Glad I found you and love your cannel and its energy and well.. the cats too! :D
Hey Starla! I have a question. Do you think you could make a video on that business you’re helping your mom with? The thing is, as far as I’ve been able to follow, your last few shops have been print on demand. Therefore, your videos have had a certain POD focus. Which is interesting! But I’d love to see an up-to-date video from my favourite all-in-one Etsy coach focusing on more traditional crafts and their unique challenges. Maybe even something like “How I’d do my jewellery business if I started in 2024”. Thanks for the consideration!
Im on 64 sales from fully starting roughly march 2023, im defo motivated to get to 100 this year soon! Im an illustrator selling a mix of prints, woven blankets and digital prints. Its taken awhile for me to pick up what works with etsy and the ins and outs, but im determined for it to be successfull since my passion is always there 👌🏻
Lucky you, Etsy put my store into vacation mode after my first sale! and won't take me out. They literally ruined any chance I had. They are criminals, straight up. No problem taking money right from my bank account for the first 3 months I slaved away on my shop, then suddenly I'm not who I say I am? How is that possible? It's not. So resent, and resent, resent all my documentation that hey already had, and nothing. My store still on vacation. All my hard work, my hopes, dreams, and passion crushed just like that with no recourse.
I joined in Jan 2024 and I have 339 sales..I think so product research is the first thing that matters..should be in demand and should be little unique then the competitors..!!
Oh, absolutely! And we absolutely did product research, which I mention several times throughout the video. Exploring the trending neutrals was product research. Defining our keyword objectives was product research. Researching top trending books was product research. Leading with passion and defining your niche is equally important though. I seldom see successful brands who have zero passion for the designs they create or the audience they are trying to target.
Thanks for doing this video! People always ask me how I got to almost 4000 sales with my shop Rainbows For Hope and what advice I have for new sellers. And I never know what to tell them because its so different from when I joined in 2020
Yeah, times are so different! Plus in 2020, you were still riding the pandemic wave where buyers HAD to shop online. 2020 wasn't "normal" traffic so the strategies between then and now have changed drastically.
Is it still worth it to open an etsy shop ? I've been planning to open a shop for photo backgrounds (from my photos) and downloadable puzzle books (which I have made). With all the recent hash about etsy suspending/closing shops, I'm trying to understand if it's worth it . What are your thoughts ?
It's either worth it or it isn't, and I wish I had a better answer than that - but new sellers are being deactivated randomly and there's no real way to know if you're going to be able to open or not. My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you're 100% ready to list an item. Etsy is not giving second chances right now, so if you miss ANY details when opening your shop, or if you do ANYTHING incorrectly, you'll likely be suspended. When starting a seller account, Etsy forces you to list at least one item. So you need to ensure you're ready to do so, as well as ready to fill out details like your bank information right when you sign up.
Thanks for the video :) I started my Etsy shop a month ago and got my first sale in the first week. I thought it was going well but I haven’t gotten another sale since…. Hopefully this video will help me 🩷
Hi Starla, I am looking at starting an Etsy shop in the next few months. I need to recreate my projects, as the photos are not the stars they need to be (thanks for the Kristina intro!). Is it too soon for the HAA if I don’t intend to launch before Aug 1st?
Because of all the laws and regulations connected with email marketing, that is not free content that I offer. I only offer it in my Handmade Alpha Academy course.
Personally, I would! It's better to have them and not need them, rather than need them and not have them. Because if you don't claim them, ANYONE could come around and use your business name for their account.
HAA is $997 total. We also have a 6-month payment plan for $199/month for 6 months. Your HAA plan includes: *Lifetime access to the program. *Lifetime updates and anything I add to the program. *Lifetime support from Marc and myself. *Membership to our Alpha Student Alumni group, where you can mastermind with successful students. *Our "bonuses" vault, which are extra trainings that we add to the program every year. *Access to the "Product Photography Essentials" workshop by Photography Coach Kristina Nicole. *PLUS a year of eRank Pro
How come? You don't get six figures in one week by doing just one simple thing? ;) Of course, that's a joke. Running a business takes a lot of work and effort. Thank you for your professional, realistic videos. It is so easy to get caught up in the narrative of how easy it is when it is not, and your videos always set me in the right attitude to work on my business. Thank you!
You do not need a lawyer for licensing deals, but you absolutely will not able able to license with Disney. The price is in the MILLIONS per item you create and you have to be insured with a minimum of a million dollars on top of that licensing. Disney isn't realistic for small brands. Books, small artists, and indie games are just about the only small licensing targets that are possible for Etsy sellers, unfortunately.
I have opened my account mid February 2024 and so far has made only one sale :( I have a niche (K-pop) the items are fun (in my opinion) and in the demand, I use social media to promote them and one item was actually well received there (many asking where to buy it etc.) but still… no new sales. I use POD but do mock-ups on other page and try to present them how I see many top selling sites in this niche do it but I only see people like the product or keep it in the basket and that’s it. I do have mail promo coupons available, I tried Etsy ads for a month but I am not willing to get in debt when I can see small chance of the return at the moment. Any idea what might be wrong except for this summer slump period right now? How many views per day do you consider busy?
Great information! I've been on Etsy for a quite awhile now and my sales are good, but I am always learning something new and something to try to improve sales when I watch your videos! Your suggestions are always so practical, presented in such an easy to understand way and they are so doable, whatever one's niche! Thank you!
It's so awesome to see that opening an Etsy shop in 2024 is still possible. I had an Etsy shop that I sold a couple of things on at the end of 2022 / beginning of 2023. I got a few sales and five star reviews and I was wondering if I should add more listings to that (it's in the same niche) or if I should start again, what would you recommend?
I recommend using your existing shop because 1. so many shops get closed down immediately upon opening (temporarily usually) and 2. you have some sales and maybe reviews with your existing shop already.
Thanks for the info Starla! If you don't mind offering a bit of advice for licensing, I am working on getting my own small business (fantasy themed handmade soap) set up and am planning on reaching out to a publisher for licensing for about half a dozen specific character themed soaps Id love to do. I have my recipe figured out and am starting to make generic fantasy themed soap to sell. It takes 6 weeks for cold process soap to be ready to actually sell, so there isn't going to be anything in my shop for a couple of months. Having worked on getting licensing from the same author I am wanting to reach out to, should I start the process as soon as I know what I want to do (colorants, fragrances, design technique) or do I wait until my shop has stock with my non-copyright fantasy themed soap first? Thankyou! You're videos have been so helpful.
Here's a video where I cover book licensing: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-estGxQj87QQ.html There is honestly no right or wrong answer. It's all up to what you'd like to do. We started our shop with a few generic book/autumn related designs while waiting for our licensing to be approved, that way we could START making sales while we waited.
With regard to communication about shipping, doesn't Etsy send messages also? If a seller also sends one, can you irritate the customer with so many messages?
Etsy does send messages, but these messages come off a bit robotic. In my 13 years of selling on Etsy, I have never had a customer upset about receiving updates from me. I've also NEVER had a bad review. Ever. In any of my shops, over 13 years. The swipe files help a ton AND they encourage good reviews, which is a key ranking factor because positive reviews help to increase your listing quality scores! You absolutely do not have to use them - but they have been one of my primary growth tools for as long as I've been selling.
File an appeal and explain that you just opened your shop and were excited to get started but was suspended. Nine times out of ten when a new shop gets suspended immediately, it's reactivated after you reach out to them. Good luck!
Hi Maam , Etsy recently permanently suspend my account its drop shipping account,i agree . Now i do not do drop shipping i make a new wood products, i bought some machine for this project , i am very passionate about it. Is this possible to use same Ip adress and other details?I am waiting for you reply best Regards
If they suspended your other account, the chances are that they will not allow you to open a new shop. I would try emailing Etsy or asking on one of their social channels to see what they say. I do not work for Etsy; therefore, I cannot say for certain.
HAA is $997 total. We also have a 6-month payment plan for $199/month for 6 months. Your HAA plan includes: -Lifetime access to the program. -Lifetime updates and anything I add to the program. -Lifetime support from Marc and myself. -Membership to our Alpha Student Alumni group, where you can mastermind with successful students. -Our "bonuses" vault, which are extra trainings that we add to the program every year. -Access to the "Product Photography Essentials" workshop by Photography Coach Kristina Nicole. -PLUS a year of eRank Pro
What would you say to someone who feels like they're doing everything right but is still not seeing the kind of traction they would like? I've had other, much more successful Etsy sellers tell me I AM doing everything right and there's no obvious reason I'm not getting regular sales. I even had a friend, who has a successful Etsy business in a similar niche say, "There must be something wrong with your shop," because I'm not as successful as they would predict. I know no one can predict success, and there are no guarantees, but the frustration can be overwhelming. I'm not giving up. I'm doing everything I can to improve. I've learned a lot from your YT channel and your free offerings. I know I'm doing what I should be doing. And one of these days I'm going to manage to make it one of your Etsy shop critique sessions!! Thanks for all the great information!
Since there is no link to your Etsy store, I just looked at your RB and TP stores. If you're Etsy store is anywhere similar, I can tell you the problem: You don't have a niche. Your designs aren't bad, but they are all over the place. Who's your audience? What kind of people are supposed to come to your store and find more than 1 item? Pick a very specific niche, a handful of products and start from there. You can always spread out topically later, but start at one point and master that. Make sense?
